It is here–another New Year and the time to make those dreaded resolutions. After all these years I am not going to stress out about making New Year’s Resolutions that I probably won’t keep anyway. I basically have the same resolution each year: to lose weight. Some years I succeed while the opposite happens other years.
Last year about this time I made some lofty Genealogy Goals. How did I do? I accomplished the following:
- Regularly journaled, using prompts from “52 Weeks of Sharing Memories” from Olive Tree Genealogy Blog
- Backed up my data every month
- Digitized many photos with my Flip Pal portable scanner
- Blogged every week
- Went to a national genealogical conference (FGS in Springfield, Illinois)
The following goals didn’t happen and are still on the to-do list:
- Digitize old home movies
- Digitize documents I have in binders
- Join Sons & Daughters of WWII Veterans
- Review and write conclusions from information I have in binders
- Discover when Isaac Huey died and where he is buried
I succeeded with 50% of my goals. That’s not too bad. This year I will make goals that are more modest:
- Digitize those old home movies from the 1950s (repeat goal from last year)
- Try to be more organized and keep my office neater (constant problem for genealogists)
- Keep writing and journaling
- Collect old family stories
- Photograph all the tombstones in Zion Lutheran Cemetery, Schumm
- Continue journaling with “52 Weeks of Sharing Memories”
In addition, I have two on-going goals that I have had for many years: Discover when Isaac Huey died and where he is buried. Discover who Jackson Brewster’s parents were. Maybe I will have success in 2012.
I am a list maker and always have many lists going at once. I have the long-term list (things to accomplish in a year), the medium-term list (to accomplish within a couple months) and the short-term list (to accomplish within a week). I keep my lists on the ColorNote Notepad app on my phone. ColorNote is an Android app that also syncs with my Kindle Fire. I keep shopping lists on that app, too. It is very handy and easy to use.
I also do low-tech. I have many little pieces of paper with to-do items on them. I am always writing down things while at work and stuff the paper in my pocket. This system works well until a list goes through the laundry. Is that what they call a laundry list?
I can now check off one item on my short-term list since I have finished Friday’s blog.
Happy New Year!
3 comments
Great job, I don’t know how you got that much done. Have enjoyed your postings.
Digitizing those home movies sounds interesting as I might consider doing my old 8mm and Super 8’s.
Thanks, Kenny
I hope you acheive all your goals this year, but am glad to hear that I am not the only one that has goals and list that do not get done.
Love the picture of your office – it looks like a comfortable place to do research!